A fraudster swindled almost £15,000 over seven years after failing to declare he was getting a pension paid into a bank account in his nephew’s name.

Thomas O’Neill claimed he didn’t think he needed to tell West Dunbartonshire Council and the Department for Work and Pensions about the payments.

But the 56-year-old was snared when a government anti-fraud initiative found he was receiving a pension.

Last week O’Neill, from Gerardine Court, Haldane, was jailed for eight months after admitted obtaining £15,750 by fraud between 2005 and 2012.

Fiscal depute Claire Martin told the court O’Neill had completed numerous forms but failed to notify he was receiving the cash each month.

She added: “It was established that the accused had access to a bank account in the name of his nephew into which the pension was paid, which he hadn’t declared to the council or the Department for Work and Pensions.

“The accused’s nephew advised that O’Neill had told him he didn’t have a bank account and provided him with an account he wasn’t using at the time.

“It would appear the accused did in fact have an account in his own name and was deliberately using the alternative account for the pension payments.

“When the accused was interviewed he confirmed he had completed all of the forms and hadn’t provided details of pension payments. He didn’t consider this income that he should have declared.

“He further stated he used his nephew’s account as he was in debt to his nephew and that the money was to pay him back. However, this was denied by his nephew who confirmed that he provided the accused with a bank account only and didn’t get any gain from the account.”

O’Neill’s lawyer Douglas Thomson told the court the accused has never appeared in the dock in his life.

He said: “He’s deeply embarrassed by the situation he finds himself in and deeply remorseful. He didn’t think he had to disclose this. Quite clearly he should have checked.”

The lawyer also told the court O’Neill has had a long-standing problem with alcohol misuse and was deemed unfit to work for 10 years ago due to this. Mr Thomson added: “The bulk of the money obtained was wasted on drink.”

Jailing him, Sheriff Thomas McCartney told O’Neill: “There are no exceptional circumstances that would justify anything other than a custodial sentence.”